Calling Guitarists & Guitar Teachers (long; hopefully not DR)

[Not Heidi]

I need some help.

I've played since 1976 (minus the last 15 years). Although I hadn't played for so long, three years ago I bought a Martin D15-M (mahogany six-string dreadnought), hoping it would encourage me to get playing again. It didn't work.

Up until 2000, I was a member of a vibrant music community, and with a mixed chorus performed 3-4 times a year, bursting with pride and joy. In two concerts, I performed with two friends a comedy song, "Regretting What I Said," written by the clever and talented songwriter Christine Lavin. This song never fails to bring the house down. One of the things that gave me such pride is that I accompanied my trio on my guitar.

Again: fifteen years have passed without playing my guitar. Yesterday a friend from that chorus PM'd me. The chorus is putting on a cabaret. She's assembled a trio who are going to audition Regretting in two weeks. She asked me if I would teach them the song and accompany them at rehearsals and in the show. This fool jumped right in and said, "hell, yeah!" So . . . .

Just a few minutes ago I put my guitar back into its gig bag, crying. I'm beyond rusty. I still know the song and can form the chords, but sometimes the strings buzz or are dead. Although I'm alone, I'm embarrassed. As for finger-picking - 🙄.

I'm hoping a few of you might have suggestions. Finger-strengthening exercises, drills, YouTube sites specific to re-learning, or anything else you can think of. I won't stop short at taking lessons, but would have to find a teacher.

Got any ideas? I'll appreciate all suggestions. Thanks so much.

[Silent Type]

1. I bet if you change the strings and play for a few hours, you'll be back in groove,

especially for this song,

[jmbar2]

2. Adding to the above

Put extra light gauge strings on while you are relearning.

Practice in very short sessions, just until your fingers/hand hurts, then stop. It will take awhile to rebuild your muscles and develop your calluses.

You can also practice fingering the chord changes without pressing down to get a little more practice in without stressing your hands.

Good luck! I think it's wonderful that you are picking it up again.

[Not Heidi]

4. jmbar

I always use super-light. I guess that became default because that's what my first teacher recommended ("soft, young fingers," he said [I was 13].)

Thanks very much - these are very good suggestions.

[rog]

6. These are all really good suggestions ...

... especially the light gauge strings. I have been a life-long pro guitar player, teacher, pushing 80 yrs old, now, but I have ALWAYS used light strings (11-50) on my acoustic guitars and jazz boxes. It's like when BB King picked up ZZ Top Billy Gibbons' guitar and asked, "Why are you workin so hard?"

Also, the suggestion about practicing the chords without pressing down is a very good tip! ... and practice slowly! EXtra slow!

♫rog♫

[Not Heidi]

9. rog, thanks very much

😘

[Not Heidi]

3. Thank you!! n/t

[303squadron]

5. Here are some thoughts

I'd have my guitar checked out by a local luthier. If you haven't played it in 15 years it probably needs new strings. Also, a neck can warp in 15 years, have the luthier make a neck adjustment to straighten it out if needed. Finally, a luthier may be able to lower the action a little making fretting easier.

As for playing, you'll need to build up the calluses on your fretting hand which means that you should play at least a little every day prior to the gig. Is fingerpicking required for the song or can you flat pick it or strum it and still obtain reasonable results? Flat picking and strumming is far easier than fingerpicking.

Finally, a little trick I picked up along the way in over 50 years of playing: If there is a recorded version of the song somewhere listen to it. Play it back in your mind. I've found that I have better results playing a song if the grey matter is thinking of music!

Good luck!

[LunaSea]

8. Yep, my thoughts too.

Buzzing could be worn frets, or a neck needing adjustment or fingering too far behind the fret, or perhaps a worn nut.
Getting the muscle memory and calluses back is just a matter of practice.

I all but quit playing for 30 years then picked it back up a few years ago.
I'm a far stronger player now than I ever was as a kid.
Good advice throughout this thread. Stay with it and you will get there.

[Not Heidi]

10. Actually, 303squadron . . .

I learned the song by ear, by listening to the song as recorded by The Chennille Sisters. I am a musician through and through - just way out of practice (except for voice).

A pro might be able to make flatpicking work, but I don't have what it takes (nor do I have the time) to learn to do that. Finger-picking is the only way to go.

I will consult a luthier.

Thank you!

[303squadron]

11. Ah, now that I have more information, here is the best help I can give

The preparation, attack and release drill as explained on pp. 40-42 of The Art Of Classical Guitar Playing by Charles Duncan:

https://archive.org/details/artofclassicalgu0000dunc/page/42/mode/1up

I can go on vacation away from my guitars for weeks and then come back and spend a few hours on that drill....and get my tone back. Probably the most important essay on fingerpicking technique that I have ever seen. It will repay your efforts many times over.

I hope this helps.

[Not Heidi]

16. Thank you very much!

I appreciate it.

[OldBaldy1701E]

7. I cannot look at my instruments without fighting back tears.

But, it gets worse if I consider playing them. I should probably get rid of them all. They were my life but they now only remind me that my life was a failure and I should not even be here wasting air.

Anyway, I would suggest you start doing finger curls and spreads with rubber bands. Use easy ones at first. you place one hand on the table holding the band and then you hook a finger in and start pulling. For the spreads, you weave the bands into your fingers and then start trying to spread them. Don't overdo these, as it is easy to get going and not realize how much you are hurting yourself. Just do a few reps at first, and then more and more as you feel better about it. As far as 'playing', that is just practice. Maybe make a fake neck out of a piece of cardboard and practice your placement from time to time without the added worry of finger strength.

Good luck! I wish I had more to offer.

[retread]

12. If your guitar lived in a gig bag with strings under tension for 15 years, at the very least, you need

a professional setup and new strings.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. That's Where I'm At

Even I don't mess with my acoustics. I work on my own electrics, but if an acoustic needs adjustment, off to a tech I go.
As to strings, even if not played, no strings last 15 years. The steels used are not THAT "stainless".

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Get New Strings

Put them on. If it's hard to play a D chord shape at the 12th fret, take it to a tech for adjustment.
Probably truss rod, but might need bridge shaving.
Couple other notes:
• If it's buzzing on chords down at the head end, it needs adjustment.
• If it's not hard to play up the neck, play the E shape (3rd string 13th fret, 4th & 5th string 14th fret) and play all 6 strings. If the fretted strings sound off pitch, the action is too high and you're effectively bending strings sharp. Again, needs adjustment.
If you do those things and there's no buzz at the low end or poor intonation at the high end, you don't need adjustment.
One more thing to try. Play a harmonic at the 12th fret of each string. Get that pitch in your head. Then, play the same string fretted at 12. They should sound like the exact same note. If they obviously don't then, again, you need a pro to adjust it.
Clean the frets with a moist sponge and Barkeeper's Friend. That's gently acidic (food grade oxalic acid in there) and removes oxides very well.
Your problems with playing difficulty and tone brightness screams worn out strings. Also, strings that are corroded past the first 50 microns and starting to embrittle. That makes them dead sounding and stiff, making them harder to play.
Start with new strings!

[Prairie_Seagull]

15. Good stuff in this thread and I will add what worked for me.

Took a long break myself. To strengthen my fingers and toughen my finger tips. I used a hand strengthener and just set the pressure to allow you to just use your fingertips to press and then use it in the regular mode to generally strengthen hands and forearms. I even used to help me (mostly) stop dropping pics

Something like this. https://www.amazon.com/hand-strengthener/s?k=hand+strengthener
This worked for me but I don't know what the pros think.